Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi Complete ... - BrahminVoice.org

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
D.: How long can the mind stay or be kept in the Heart?
M.: The period extends by practice.
D.: What happens at the end of the period?
M.: The mind returns to the present normal state. Unity in the Heart
is replaced by variety of phenomena perceived. This is called the
outgoing mind. The heart-going mind is called the resting mind.
D.: Is all this process merely intellectual or does it exhibit feeling
predominantly?
M.: The latter.
D.: How do all thoughts cease when the mind is in the Heart?
M.: By force of will, with strong faith in the truth of the Master’s
teaching to that effect.
D.: What is the good of this process?
M..: (a) Conquest of the will - development of concentration.
(b) Conquest of passions - development of dispassion.
(c) Increased practice of virtue - (samatva) equality to all.
D.: Why should one adopt this self-hypnotism by thinking on the
unthinkable point? Why not adopt other methods like gazing into
light, holding the breath, hearing music, hearing internal sounds,
repetition of the sacred syllable (Pranava) or other mantras?
M.: Light-gazing stupefies the mind and produces catalepsy of the
will for the time being, yet secures no permanent benefit. Breath
control benumbs the will for the time being only. Sound-hearing
produces similar results - unless the mantra is sacred and secures
the help of a higher power to purify and raise the thoughts.
Talk 28.
D.: What is the interrelation between regulation of thought and
regulation of breath?
M.: Thought (intellectual) and respiration, circulation, etc. (vegetative)
activities are both different aspects of the same - the individual life.
Both depend upon (or metaphorically ‘reside’ or ‘inhere’ in) life.
Personality and other ideas spring from it like the vital activity.
If respiration or other vital activity is forcibly repressed, thought
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